Valves, clicking noise

Tiny
DVD
  • MEMBER
  • GEO PRIZM
92 Prizm, 4AFE eng, 1.6L DOHC, 3spd AT. At 116K I took this car to a Toyota dealership for a valve adj since there was fairly pronounced valve train clicking noise. I purchased the car with 110k on it. After a 20 mi trip to the dealer's shop (eng was at normal operating temp) a mechanic did the work without letting the engine cool down. When the work was done I was told he only had to adjust a few valves and there still was "a little bit of ticking". Well, it seems to "tick" about as much as before. Another mechanic told me its wear in the valve train and nothing to worry about. I've owned Toyotas, Hondas and a Mazda and I always did my own valve adj and I know that properly adj'd valves don't make "clicking noises". A few years ago I became disabled or I would have done this job myself. According to my Haynes manual this engine should be cold when the valves are adjusted. I think there should be no noise if the valve adj is done correctly on a cold engine because the mechanical adjustment compensates for any wear. That is why the mech adjustment exists. Am I correct about this or am I all wet?
Thursday, November 1st, 2007 AT 10:12 AM

2 Replies

Tiny
FAIRRACING31
  • MECHANIC
  • 150 POSTS
You are correct Dave, BUT there becomes a point when the wear in the valve train is greater then the adjustment that can be given. Weather your valve train has that much wear, I don't know. You may want to try some Resolen quite lifter additive that you can pick up at your local part's store. I have had great luck with it. Whenever I do a oil change with a vehicle with loud lifter's, I will substitute a quart of Resolen for a quart of motor oil.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+1
Thursday, November 1st, 2007 AT 11:41 AM
Tiny
MMPRINCE4000
  • MECHANIC
  • 8,548 POSTS
Valve adjustment on the 4AFE must be done cold. There are 24 different shims available. If they used the largest shim and it still was not in spec, they should have told you the cam/bearing caps needed to be replaced.
There is s special tool you would need (Kent-Moore J-37141-A) to adjust the valves. You remove the cam cover, insert one of the tools (it is a set) to compress the valve spring, use the other tool to hold it and then replace the shim.
The problem sounds like they adjusted them hot and when it cooled down the adjustment was off.
I would have them do it until they get it right (without charging you).
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Friday, November 2nd, 2007 AT 6:19 AM

Please login or register to post a reply.

Sponsored links